The Japanese Ministry has once again called on the Trump administration to stop using franchises such as Mario, Pokémon, and Naruto in its social media posts.
According to a report by Japanese publication Mainichi Shimbun (via IGN), Japanese officials put forth at least two more requests to the US government in June to stop its unauthorized use of video game and anime IPs.
Over the past year, official US government social media accounts have been posting memes featuring popular copyrighted characters without the permission of rightsholders. The Japanese government has asked that the US consider the potential damage to these franchises when used to promote US policies and pro-war related content.
Driven by backlash and petitions throughout Japan, the Japanese government has been asking the US to stop posting such content since March.
In September 2025, the Department of Homeland Security used the Pokémon anime theme song, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All,” in a video showing various ICE raids. The Pokémon Company issued a statement in response, saying it was “not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.”
In March 2026, The White House used Pokémon Pokopia to promote its “Make America Great Again” slogan. This once again prompted an official response from The Pokémon Company, which said “Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.”
Related
Department of Homeland Security syncs Pokémon anime theme to videos of ICE raids
The Pokémon Company responds to White House Pokopia meme, denies involvement
Leave a Comment
Written by Reece Heather
A veteran Zelda Universe editor and First-class journalism graduate, Reece emerged with a Nintendo 64 and a lifelong obsession after a narrow escape from Santa’s Naughty List in 1998. Outside of games, he’s reading Punisher comics, being bossed around by his cocker spaniel, and cornering innocent bystanders to rant about the importance of game preservation.
